DENVER, Aug. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newtopia Now, the innovative event for emerging natural brands, retail buyers, investors, and service providers, concluded its three-day showcase on August 20. The event connected more than 435 emerging and established brands with buyers and decision-makers from Walmart, Amazon, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, The Coca-Cola Company, Instacart, Sprouts Farmers Market, HelloFresh, Grocery Outlet, and DoorDash. The strong presence of first-time exhibitors, paired with 1,500 curated meetings, underscored the growing demand for more intentional ways for brands and retail decision-makers to find one another.
Brands on the show floor spanned categories including food & beverage, vitamins, supplements, health & beauty, pet, among others. With more than 60% first-time exhibitors, the event transformed traditional trade show engagement through immersive, retail-style environments designed to foster authentic connections between CPG brands and retailers, investors, and partners who can help them scale.
"This year's Newtopia Now proved that the future of CPG is not just about products on shelves. It is about building ecosystems where purpose-driven brands can access the capital, retail partnerships, and strategic guidance they need to scale sustainably," says Jeff D’Entremont, Senior Vice President of Health & Nutrition. "With a dynamic mix of returning and first-time exhibitors, including established, emerging, and early-stage brands, we serve as a catalyst for the next generation of industry-defining brands."
Innovation Through Immersive Experience
Newtopia Now reimagined CPG discovery through three distinct experiential neighborhoods, each designed to facilitate purposeful interactions and authentic brand storytelling:
Thrive explored the future of human health through foods, supplements, and performance nutrition
Regenerate championed sustainability and environmental impact, featuring regenerative agriculture, circular packaging, and climate-conscious brands
Glow showcased conscious beauty and holistic wellness products that prioritize clean ingredients and transparent sourcing
Specialty curated spaces throughout the show floor, including the Thrive Café, Glow Salon, Front Stoop, Thrive Lounge, and Regenerate Lounge, encouraged organic conversations and hands-on product exploration beyond traditional booth interactions.
The Market experience delivered an immersive retail-style environment with multi-sensory product displays and contextual navigation designed specifically for buyer discovery, allowing retailers to experience products as consumers would encounter them in-store.
Industry Firsts Expand Global Reach and Sustainability Focus
The 2026 event introduced several groundbreaking features that expanded the show's scope and impact:
The inaugural International Pavilion, featuring APEX Brazil, marked Newtopia Now's expansion into global brand discovery, showcasing international brands seeking U.S. market entry and creating cross-border partnership opportunities for retailers looking to diversify their product portfolios.
The Organic Farmstead Pavilion in the Regenerate neighborhood brought regenerative agriculture to life, connecting the growing consumer demand for transparency with the farmers, ingredient suppliers, and brands delivering sustainable solutions from soil to shelf. Brands included Forecast Coffee, Send Bars, PCO Certified Organic, and hrbvor Herbal Tea.
Industry Leaders Share Insights on Scaling and Authenticity
The education program featured keynote presentations from influential industry voices who shared actionable strategies for building purpose-driven brands at scale:
Giada De Laurentiis, Emmy Award Winning Chef, Cookbook Author, Restaurateur, Entrepreneur, and Founder of Giadzy, discussed "Entrepreneurship & the Business of Better Pasta," exploring how to turn culinary expertise into a scalable lifestyle brand while balancing authenticity with commercial growth and maintaining creative vision through expansion.
Dee Charlemagne, Senior Director of Emerging Brands at Walmart, presented "Inside Emerging Brands at Walmart: Strategy, Support & Shelf Success," revealing what it takes for emerging brands to successfully navigate the path from pitch to placement within one of the world's largest retailers, including insights on Walmart's emerging brand criteria and support infrastructure.
Gabby Reece, former professional athlete, Co-founder of Laird Superfoods, and Host of the Gabby Reece Show, delivered "The Advantage of Authenticity," exploring how authentic leadership, resilience, and intentional habits create stronger founders and more sustainable brands that resonate with today's conscious consumers.
Education sessions throughout the three-day event examined trends shaping growth across retail, wellness, sustainability, and consumer behavior, featuring industry leaders, innovators, and emerging voices driving the future of the natural products marketplace.
The Cycle Wins Conscious Beauty and Wellness Pitch
The high-energy Conscious Beauty and Wellness Pitch showcased eight innovative beauty, wellness, and supplement brands competing for $10,000 in prize money and a free nomination for Natural Products Expo West's coveted 2027 NEXTY Awards, which recognizes the most sustainable, diverse, and innovative products in the industry.
The Cycle, a menstrual cycle support drink line featuring Omega-7 from Sea Buckthorn that supports functional wellness, perimenopause comfort, and menopause comfort, took home first place. The brand impressed judges with its science-backed approach to menstrual wellness, clear path to retail scalability, and commitment to addressing an underserved category with transparency and efficacy.
Key Takeaways from Newtopia Now
“Over the last few days, we had conversations about growth, leadership, operations, technology, our industry, and the opportunities ahead of us. We talked about what we are doing well but more importantly, where we need to get better. And all of it happened during Newtopia Now week in Denver, surrounded by so many of the brands, founders, partners, and people who make the CPG industry so special.” –Caitlin Antle Wilson, CEO & Founder of Full Good Holding Co.
Fostering Community Beyond the Show Floor
Curated networking events extended connections beyond the Expo Hall. Highlights included the Colorado Rockies Vs LA Dodgers Baseball Game at Coors Field, Women in CPG Brunch, Denver Botanic Gardens Tour, Neighborhood Networking Night, and Community Funding Workshop for emerging brands.
Join Us in 2027 in Chicago
Newtopia Now will begin its next chapter in Chicago in 2027, continuing to bring the industry together through curated product discovery, meaningful connections, and a community-focused experience. The next edition of Newtopia Now will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, in Chicago, Illinois, September 14-16, 2027. For more information and to stay up to date on show announcements, please visit www.newtopianow.com.
About Newtopia Now
Newtopia Now is a groundbreaking health and wellness event for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, organized by New Hope Network, a division of Informa Markets. This innovative B2B trade show reimagines the traditional exhibition experience by focusing on connection, community, and purpose-driven business. The event brings together brands, retail buyers, and industry professionals to co-create the next era of purpose-led CPG and retail through deeper levels of engagement, with curated meeting opportunities, interactive content, and networking sessions alongside the latest innovations in natural and organic products. To learn more, visit www.newtopianow.com.
About New Hope Network
New Hope Network is a leading authority in the healthy lifestyle products industry, offering solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers. Through its comprehensive portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services, New Hope Network is dedicated to fostering a prosperous, high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that promotes health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet. For more information, visit www.newhope.com.
About Informa Markets
Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio comprises more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com.
Media Contact
Informa Health & Nutrition Public Relations
pr@newhope.com
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